Animal observatory cage apparatus, in general, are known in the art. Such apparatus of the prior art, however, has not satisfied the need for a simple, rugged and humane observatory for small animals, which can be safely and easily used and handled by a smaller child.
A first "type" of such observation cage of the prior art is the well-known simple layer or screen cage that functions as a kennel for larger animals or a pet cage for smaller animals (e.g. bird cages or gerbil cages). Typical of this type of cage is its "open" feature, or the fact that such cages (except perhaps for their floors) are substantially open to the external environment by reason of their wire or screen mesh walls. Such cage-type apparatus are not very practical for housing smaller animals or insects, for the purpose of observing their life-cycles or mannerisms, in a "natural" environment. Variations of this "first" type of cage have included pet shipping containers, designed primarily for protecting a pet housed thereby during transportation. Examples of such cages are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,611,994 and 3,834,352. Such variations, while generally "closing" substantial portions of the normally "open" peripheral wall area of the cage, are also not very practical for use as observatory cages for viewing smaller animals in their natural habitats.
A second class or "type" of animal observatory cage includes the experimental, educational and laboratory observatories, that are particularly suitable for conducting experimental, genetic or behavioral studies, under laboratory conditions, on various life-forms such as insects. Examples of such laboratory observatories are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,580,219; 3,626,902; 3,687,110 and 3,874,335.
Observatories of the prior art that fall within the laboratory or "second" type listed above, typically include one or more glass or otherwise light-transparent walls for permitting unobstructed visual access into the inner cavity portions of the observatory. While the "visibility" feature of such observatories is advantageous to an outside observer under controlled laboratory conditions, it is not particularly humane to the captive animal if such observatories are used by smaller children in non-laboratory conditions, for holding smaller animals or insects for observation. Smaller children, with significantly shorter attention spans than their adult counterparts are prone to forget the observatory cage in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. When used in such non-laboratory conditions, such insect observatories of the prior art can be likened in their non-humane treatment of the confined animal, to the well-known glass fruit jar observatories often used by children. Under such non-laboratory applications, the heat radiated by sunlight through the glass, creates an unnatural and often deadly condition for the confined animal, that destroys the desired natural environment condition under which the animal's habits are to be viewed. Further, the breakable nature and complexity of such prior art insect observatories, makes them unattracted and potentially hazardous for everyday child use and abuse thereof.
The present invention fills a need in the art for a simple, rugged and highly humane small animal observatory, that is particularly practical and use-flexible for application by children in observing life habits and life-cycles of a large variety of small animals. The observatory cage of this invention is sized for easy carrying by a child. Its construction is rugged, and of a nature and style such that it can humanely house smaller animals such as caterpillars and tadpoles in natural environment such that they can be observed during metamorphosis in their life-cycles into butterflies and frogs respectively. The present invention also serves as a natural habitat cage for other small animals or pets. The observatory of this invention is designed to enable easy access into the confining internal cavity portion thereof for loading and unloading of the observatory, and includes a unique observation port configuration that opens to provide ready observation of the animals contained therein without interfering with the natural environment and also doubles as a novelty or toy feature for the child. The materials and style of the observatory are selected so as to further enhance creation of a natural environment within the observatory, as well as an aesthetically pleasing and functional external appearance.